SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State men's basketball team (6-7, 0-1 Sun Belt) kicks off 2024 with its Sun Belt Conference home opener on Thursday. Coming to Strahan Arena will be Coastal Carolina (3-9, 0-1 Sun Belt) for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
 
Fans can catch the action on ESPN+ and on the Varsity Sports Network with Clint Shields on the call. Live stats will also be available to follow.
 
About Texas State
The Bobcats are coming off an 82-65 loss at then 20th-ranked James Madison on Saturday to being conference play. It was the fifth consecutive campaign in which TXST has dropped its first league game. The setback was the second straight against a ranked and undefeated opponent after also falling to then 3rd-ranked Houston prior to the Christmas break.
 
Jordan Mason continues to pace the team at 14.4 points per game and is making 47.3% of his shot attempt and a team leading 75.0% at the free throw line. He is one of six players with double-digit steals and leads everyone with 14.
 
Also coming in with a double-digit scoring mark is Kaden Gumbs (10.2) and Brandon Love (10.7). Gumbs is dishing out a team-high 4.2 assists per contest while Love is second in the conference with 32 total blocks and 2.5 rejections a game. The junior forward comes in grabbing 5.5 rebounds per game, which is tied for the most on the squad with Joshua O'Garro.
 
Both Coleton Benson and Dylan Dawson are contributing 9.3 and 9.5 ppg, respectively. Benson is coming off a season-high 19 points against the Dukes in which all of them came in the final 9:49 of the contest. Dawson has made a team leading 21 three-pointers and his 72 attempts are the sixth most in the Sun Belt.
 
About Coastal Carolina
The Chanticleers enter Thursday coming off a 72-65 home loss to Troy to being conference play. It was their fourth consecutive loss with all of them coming by eight points or less. Of CCU's nine losses, all but one has been by single-digits with the exception being a 12-point contest against North Carolina Central on Nov. 26 in Conway.
 
Both Kylan Blackmon and Jacob Meyers are scoring a team-high 13.3 ppg. Blackmon has made a team leading 26 three-pointers at a 36.6% clip while also recording 16 steals. Meyer has made 20 attempts from beyond the arc and shooting 41.7% on his three-point tries. The freshman guard also leads the team with 18 steals.
 
John Ojiako is averaging a double-double of 13.1 ppg and 10.3 rpg. The graduate transfer from George Mason has made a team best 70.2% (66-of-94) shot attempts and his 15 blocks and are one behind Jimmy Nicholas for the team lead.
 
Playing over 18 minutes a game and scoring over eight points a contest is Kevin Easley (8.9), Jon Sanders (9.3) and Nichols (8.8). Sanders had handed out a team-high 36 assists while Meyer is second with 35.
 
All-Time Series vs. Dukes
Texas State has dominated the all-time series and lead it 10-2. The last seven games have been won by the Bobcats with the most recent being a 78-75 contest on the road last season.
 
Feb. 5, 2022 was the last time the teams faced off in Strahan Arena with TXST walking out with a 69-64 victory. The win improved the Bobcats to 3-2 all-time when hosting the Chanticleers. Last time CCU defeated Texas State was a 56-54 overtime game in San Marcos on Feb. 1, 2018.
 
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